Thin film photovoltaic (PV) modules (also referred to as “solar panels”) based on cadmium telluride (CdTe) paired with cadmium sulfide (CdS) as the photo-reactive components are gaining wide acceptance and interest in the industry. CdTe is a semiconductor material having characteristics particularly suited for conversion of solar energy to electricity. The junction of the n-type layer (e.g., CdS) and the p-type layer (e.g., CdTe) is generally responsible for the generation of electric potential and electric current when the CdTe PV module is exposed to light energy, such as sunlight. A transparent conductive oxide (“TCO”) layer is commonly used between the window glass and the junction forming layers to serve as the front electrical contact on one side of the device. Conversely, a back contact layer is provided on the opposite side of the junction forming layers and is used as the opposite contact of the cell.
An encapsulation substrate is positioned on the opposite side of the device from the window glass to encase the thin film layers. The encapsulation substrate also serves to mechanically support the window glass of the PV device. However, the encapsulation substrate typically contains a hole that enables connection of the photovoltaic device to lead wires for the collection of the DC electricity created by the PV device. The presence of the hole in the encapsulation substrate can induce a weak point in the device. For example, the hole in the encapsulation substrate can serve as an entry point for water to diffuse into the device (e.g., water ingress). Also, the PV device may be particularly susceptible to hail damage (e.g., cracking) in the window glass in the area at or near the encapsulation hole. This weakness can be exaggerated when the window glass is made from a specialty glass and/or a relatively thin glass.